Uninvited Guest at the Wedding
E. C. R. Potter
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling and Waner Bros. Inc. I got the idea for the plot from the
Japanese manga LOVE HINA by Ken Akamatsu.
It all started on a sunny day during late August in Hogsmeade village. A young 14-year-old girl with frizzy brown hair,
grayish blue eyes and freckles was making her way towards the magnificent castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry. Her name was Karen Roland, a transfer student from Beauxbatons. She was an American who had lived in
France for three years before coming to Britain. Karen stopped short, awed by the great castle.
'OK Karen,' she thought. 'This is the first day of your new life. You're a Hogwarts student now, not a Beauxbatons student. No more arrogant French girls making fun of your looks and bookworm like nature. Things are going to be better!'
Karen took a deep breath and made her way to the front door. Slowly, she pulled them open and took her first step inside…
A pitched alarm sounded and a sack of potatoes fell on her head! Karen screamed and keeled over as a piece of parchment with Weasley Wizard Wheezes, courtesy of Gred and Forge written on it fell in front of her. A tall man in his early twenties with fiery red hair and tons of freckles ran up to Karen.
"There you are! I was wondering when you were going to get here! What in Heaven's name took you so long?! Where have you been all this time?! What…" The man took a good look at Karen. "You're not Ginny."
"Ron, I'm over here," called a red haired woman from the other side of the hall. It was clear that the two were brother and sister.
The man helped Karen up to her feet. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Um…K-Karen Roland…I-I'm a transfer s-student f-from Beauxbatons."
"Aren't you a little early? Hogwarts doesn't start for another week."
"T-transfer s-students are s-supposed to arrive a w-week early."
"Well, you've got interesting timing," said the man with a grin. "We're going to be having a wedding here tomorrow morning. I'm Ron Weasley by the way, the best man. I work as an auror." He pointed to the woman. "That's my sister, Ginny. She's maid of honor."
Karen's eyes went wide. "Virginia Weasley? The romance novelist?"
"Well, yes," said Ginny with a blush.
"I've read all of your books! You write very well Miss Weasley! I'm a big fan of your books!" Karen turned back to Ron. "Um, I'm sorry to intrude but who's wedding is it?"
"Oh, Harry Potter."
"Oh, Harry Po…HARRY POTTER?! THE HARRY POTTER?!"
"That's right," said Ginny with a grin. "This must be your lucky day, intruding upon the wedding of the most famous wizard in the whole world."
Karen couldn't believe that she had chanced upon the wedding of the famous Harry Potter. Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, "What's the bride like?"
Ron raised an eyebrow. "What, Hermione? Well let's see now. She was at the top of our class every single year, passed all of her exams with an average of 134%, got 16 O.W.L.s, full marks on N.E.W.T.s, prefect, Head Girl…"
Karen couldn't help but think, 'She sounds like some kind of Queen of the Castle.' She had an image of a tall sophisticated lady lording out to all of the students and professors. "She sounds just perfect for the Harry Potter. I can't help but think how I'm just nothing but a bossy bookworm who will never amount to anything." Karen looked like she was about to cry.
Ron smiled and placed a hand on Karen's shoulder. "Don't feel downhearted about that. I have a best friend who was also a bossy bookworm, whom was frightened that she would never amount to anything. She eventually found happiness with my other best friend. If you never give up, then your dreams will eventually come true." Karen couldn't help but smile from Ron's words.
"Oooooooh, so Ron," said Ginny with a sinister grin. "Does that mean that you haven't completely given up on Hermione?"
"What?!"
"Admit it, you still have feelings for her. Hoping she'll forget about Harry and run off with you?"
Ron snorted. "Look who's talking. In your most recent book, the groom runs off with the maid of honor."
'I meant nothing by that."
"Than why is the maid of honor a red head and the bride a brunette?"
"Why you…" Ginny tackled Ron and the two started to fight like cats and dogs. Karen just stared at them when another pair of red heads, identical twins came by.
"Hey look, Fred. Our little brother and sister are having a cat fight!"
"Yeah, George. You know, we should sell tickets." The twins summoned a pair of chairs and some popcorn and continued watching Ron and Ginny beat each other up.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
That night, curiosity once again getting the better of her, Karen crept into Ron's room. 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' she thought. But she had an insatiable urge to see the wedding rings. She slowly made her way to the coffee table and picked up the velvet box that contained the two rings. It was then that another Weasley Wizard Wheezes alarm rang out!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Panic overcoming her, Karen dashed out of the room and continued running through the castle. She barely registered that she still carried the two rings. Soon, the entire castle was awake searching for a burglar and Karen made a dash for the entrance hall. She had just made it outside when she collided into another young man flying on a broomstick. The broomstick lost control, and crashed into the Whomping Willow!
"Oh no! First I steal the rings. And now I've just killed a man! I'm a murderer! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Karen was starting to get hysterical when the man suddenly got up and walked over to her with a smile on his face. 'Is this man immortal?' thought Karen as she slumped to the ground.
"Hey, who are you?" asked the man. He was a tall man in his early twenties with hopelessly messy raven black hair, emerald green eyes, and round rimless glasses. He was wearing a black muggle tuxedo under his cloak.
"I-I-I…uh…w-well…I-I…I…" Karen couldn't form a coherent sentence. The green-eyed man suddenly noticed the velvet box in Karen's hand. He also heard voices from the castle that called "Burglar!" He immediately understood what had happened.
"Well, follow me," he said with a smile. Before, Karen could protest, he grabbed her hand and dragged her away.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Karen woke up when sunlight hit her face. "What a horrible nightmare," she muttered as she pulled herself up. She suddenly noticed that she was on a dusty four-poster bed in a dirty, shabby looking cottage. Furthermore, the green-eyed man was sitting in a corner. He seemed to have just woke up.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said with a grin.
'Oh my God. I've been kidnapped by a mysterious man and taken to some secluded hut!' "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Karen started getting hysterical again.
"Calm down," said the man. "You're in the Shrieking Shack. Just go through the trap door down stairs and you'll get back to Hogwarts."
"What? Why?"
"Well you have to return the rings. Don't worry; the chaos would've died down by now. And if I know Ron, he probably wouldn't have even realized the rings are missing."
"But all that…"
"That was only because you tripped the alarms. People probably thought it was a trick played by Fred and George."
Karen timidly got up and made her way downstairs to the trap door. She was about to go through it when the man called out, "Oh, and remember to prod the knot on one of the roots down there. The Whomping Willow doesn't like being disturbed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Fred and George Weasley were at the front gates, ushering guests in. "So who's come so far?" asked George.
"Well let's see," said Fred. "Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown, Parvarti and Padma Patil, Colin and Dennis Creevy, Justin Finch-Fletchy, Cho Chang, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones…oh excuse me." Fred made his way to a beautiful woman who had just arrived. He said in (very fake) French accent, "Pardon moi, Mademoiselle, but would you care to have dinner with me?"
The woman faced him and said "Why, Fred Weasley, I would be happy to have dinner with you." Fred was absolutely stunned that this stranger knew him. He suddenly recognized her.
"Angelina Johnson?"
"What? Didn't know who I was, Fred?" Angelina grinned and walked into the castle as George burst out laughing.
"Hey, this where the wedding taking place?" called out a distinct Scottish accent. The twins rose to greet Oliver Wood.
Other guests arrived: Fluer and Gabrielle Delacour, Victor Krum, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater (who was accompanying Percy), and Arabella Figg. All of the Hogwarts professors (Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, Pomfrey, Hooch, Vector, Sinestra) were already there. Professor Trelawny had also been invited but she had refused to come, saying that her inner eye foretold disaster at the wedding.
Ron eventually came out to join his brothers. "Well, is everyone here?"
George said, "Still a few more to…oh, look who's here." Draco Malfoy came strolling to the castle, an arrogant look on his face.
"Oh, so you decided to come, ferret boy," said Ron, a look of disdain on his face. Draco scowled.
"I'm surprised I'm here myself," he sneered. "I suppose I was only invited for good manners, which is the only reason why I'm here. I wouldn't want to attend the wedding of Potter and that mudb…ACK!" Draco's shriek was a result of an electrical shock he felt when he tried to say the insulting word "mudblood". The Weasleys started snickering.
"What was that?" demanded Draco.
"What was what?" asked Ron with a grin. Fred and George were howling with laughter.
"When I tried to say mudb…ACK!" Another shock. The Weasleys were now clutching their sides with laughter.
"Oh, we placed a charm on the castle so that if anybody used that word, they'll feel an electric shock," said Ron after he calmed down a little.
"What word? Mudb…ACK!" Draco finally got the idea and stormed into the castle leaving the Weasleys in a very good mood.
"So anyone else nasty coming," asked Fred.
"Harry invited the Dursleys for the sole reason of wanting to deliver them the invitation in person. He scared them out of their wits by arriving on a stormy night when the power had gone out, broke down the door, and spoke very politely and cheerfully to them. Dudley's the size of the Titanic now by the way. I doubt they'll come though."
It was when Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Rubeus Hagrid made their way to the Weasleys that Karen finally arrived. She was a little nervous about approaching a half-giant, a werewolf, and an ex-convict but she managed to strike up her courage and walk up to Ron.
"Um, e-excuse me."
Ron looked down at her and smiled. "Oh hi, it's you again…huh? You've got the rings! Holy cow, I forgot all about the bloody rings! Where did you get them? Never mind, just follow me!" He grabbed Karen's wrist and dragged her into the castle. They eventually came to the portrait of the Fat Lady that was the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron said the password and pulled Karen in.
Karen's breath stopped in her throat. In the Common Room was a beautiful woman wearing a bride's dress. It was a pure white, satin, sleeveless gown with skirts that flared only a little. She wore a small tiara over her bride's veil. She had long brown hair that cascaded her oval face in ringlets and cinnamon brown eyes that shone with loving-kindness. She only had the slightest hint of makeup. Karen realized that this woman, Hermione Granger, was nothing like she had imagined. She was a million times better.
"Hello Ron. Who's this?" asked Hermione. A beautiful smile made her face shine.
Karen nervously stepped forward and introduced herself. Hermione smiled. "You've brought the rings. Thank you very much." She bent down and kissed Karen on her forehead. Karen's nervousness banished in a flash. "You remind me of myself when I was your age," said Hermione. "Go downstairs and join the guests."
Karen smiled and left the Gryffindor Common Room. She eventually made to the Great Hall and found her seat. But she received a large shock when she saw the groom standing at the altar. It was the green-eyed man! For the first time, she noticed the lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. With a start, Karen realized that the man who had saved her from the chaos last night was none other than Harry Potter!
Harry caught sight of her and waved. Karen could do nothing more than wave back.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The wedding soon started. The crowd gasped at Hermione's beauty as her father led her down the aisle to where Harry was standing. The Minister began speaking.
"Do you, Harry James Potter, take this woman to be you lawfully wedded wife? To love and to cherish through rich or poor, health and sickness till death do you part?"
"I do."
"Do you, Hermione Anne Granger, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and to cherish through rich or poor, health and sickness till death do you part?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Harry and Hermione kissed passionately amidst the cheering of all the guests (except Snape and Malfoy). Malfoy had tried to jeer "mudblood" but was met with another electric shock.
Harry and Hermione made their way out of the castle amidst the congratulations, cheers, whistles, and rice being thrown. They got onto Harry's Firebolt outside that had a sign that read "Just Married". As they took off, Hermione threw her bouquet. Karen jumped up and caught it.
The End